This invention relates to a film-packet for accommodating film-units, each to be used as an image carrying member for a camera based on the diffusion transfer process and more particularly, to the film-packet of the above-described type which is further adaptable as a picture stand when all the film-units accommodated therein are used up.
As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a film-packet 7 of the present invention may be formed in a box-like case 2 so that a predetermined number of film-units may be accommodated therein. The box-like case 2 is provided on its front side with a window-portion or frame 3 for exposure and a slit-shaped aperture 4, on its one lateral side relative to the front side, for permitting each film-unit 1 to be withdrawn therethrough. In the box-like case 2, the film-packet 7 is further provided with a covering member 6 for shielding the window-portion 3 therewith so as to prevent the film-units from being exposed and bears a backing plate 5 for causing the bundle of the film-units to be urged towards the covering member 6 through a resilient spring 5a.
Generally, when all the film-units accommodated are used up, there is no possibility of reusing of the film-packet per se, and the used film-packets have been discarded as of no value. In view of the manufacturing cost of respective film-packets, it seems quite unreasonable to discard the used film-packets as useless from an economical point of view. However, since the conventional film-packets are composed of a plurality of members each made from either of the plastic molding compounds, the metallic materials or the laminated composite materials, it is not practical to attempt to utilize these used film-packets to obtain reprocessed materials through a series of disassembling and reprocessing steps.
To make good use of the used film-packets, the present inventors found a fact that the used film-packet per se can be effectively utilized as a picture stand by adding some inventive steps to the conventional manufacturing mode of the film-packets.